Chapter 5Data Presentation

Chapter 5Data Presentation

Chapter 5Data Presentation, Analysis, Interpretation
Female Stereotypes
Female stereotypes are common in the Disney Princess films franchise. Women are supposed to be weaker than men. They are quieter and are not allowed to speak out. Women are supposed to be submissive and do as they are told. They are to stay home and do the household chores. Furthermore, women love to sing and dance. They are supposed to be presentable. Finally, women are the damsels in distress and never the hero (Brewer, n.d.).
1. Snow White
When Snow White was looking for a place to stay, she found the Dwarfs’ place. Before she attempted to knock on the door, thinking that the dwarfs were there, she fixed her hair to look a bit presentable. While the Dwarfs were out mining, Snow White cleaned the Dwarfs’ house, making their house spotless. In terms of chores, she could also cook, sew, bake, and do other household chores. This trait is usually stereotypical. While she was cooking their dinner, she asked the Dwarfs to wash their hands before eating. When the Dwarfs said that they did wash their hands even though they didn’t, she raised her voice like a mother and asked them to wash their hands again. Furthermore, before the Dwarfs went to work, Snow White kissed the foreheads of Dwarfs like anyone’s mother.

Cinderella
Cinderella has done several household chores that are considered stereotypical. She has fed the animals, even the mice. She made tea and prepared the breakfast of her family. She was asked to iron, mend, sew, and do her family’s laundry. She was also asked to clean everything in the house. Her family used bells to call her. Moreover, Cinderella was concerned about her ripped dress when Godmother appeared. She looked at herself when Godmother transformed her torn dress into a beautiful gown. She quickly ran to the fountain and looked at her reflection on the water. This reflects how women should be presentable. Additionally, Cinderella sang the song her stepsister was singing beautifully.

Aurora
Aurora received female stereotypes from around her when the fairies granted Aurora with lips as red as rose and the gift of song. This indicates that the fairies have given her gifts that are valuable to women such as their looks and their capability to sing. Aurora has done household chores such as cleaning the windows and she was asked by the fairies to pick some berries. Aurora also sang beautifully. Her voice echoed around the forest which attracted Prince Philip to follow her voice.

Ariel
Although Ariel doesn’t do any stereotypical household chores as she lives under the sea, she is considered to have the most beautiful voice in the kingdom. She was described as having a voice like a bell. She loves music because she is part of the concert that it is arranged in their kingdom. Moreover, Ariel sang to Eric when she rescued him. Eric called her as having the most beautiful voice. She also sang when she was in love. Furthermore, Grim described Ariel as a vision. She also mesmerized Eric when she entered the room while she was wearing a gown.

Belle
Although she displayed stereotypical characteristics such as putting her hair behind her ear and hiding behind a tree while playing with the Beast, putting her head on the Beast’s chest when they danced, and touching the Beast’s face when she was about to leave, it can be observed that Belle has slowly evolved. Belle loves to read books and it is not typical of women to be educated. Gaston even questions Belle’s interest in books when she should be focusing on being a housewife instead. However, there is still hints of stereotypical qualities as Belle acted as a nurse when she cleaned the Beast’s wounds. Even though Belle is beautiful, she didn’t allow herself to be subject to being beautiful alone, she is also smart, brave, and the heroine of the story — qualities that aren’t stereotypical of women.

Jasmine
Jasmine displayed little stereotypical qualities. Even though she is acknowledged as the beautiful princess of Agrabah, she doesn’t want to be forced to get married. Her father instilled stereotypes on her by asking her to choose a prince to marry. Even though it is part of their law, this could be an indication that her father doesn’t trust the kingdom at the hands of a woman.

Pocahontas
Pocahontas has shown a handful of stereotypes. She put her hair behind her ear when John Smith saw her. She also put her head on his shoulders. She let John Smith touch her face. She was biting her lower lip when she entered where John Smith was captured. She has hugged, kissed, and loves John Smith. Her father also enclosed her with stereotypes as he indicated that he wanted Pocahontas to marry Kocoum so that someone would take care of her. This shows the female stereotypes wherein a woman is incapable of taking care of herself.

Mulan
Mulan has also shown stereotypical qualities. Mulan was asked to feed the chickens which is a household chore. She has said “sorry” in a girly voice. She couldn’t spit like a man. She couldn’t carry the heavy weights and was eventually kicked out of the army. She takes a bath because she doesn’t want to smell like a man. She was impressed by Shang when he took off his clothes. She didn’t want to see another naked man again. She covered her body when she was just in bandages. She kissed Mushu as thanks.
Tiana
Growing up close to her father who loves to cook, Tiana learned to cook at a very young age. She’s highly skilled in the kitchen. She is considered as a master mincer, even teaching Naveen how to mince. She tends to serve other people in the movie. It can be noted that cooking and serving others are stereotypes for women.

Rapunzel
Rapunzel has displayed some stereotypical qualities. She has put hair back of ear before asking Flynn something. She kissed Hook Hand on the cheek as thank you. She let Flynn touch her hair. Rapunzel can also knit, cook, bake, make candles, and sew.
Merida
Merida has displayed androgynous qualities most of the time. The only stereotypical thing she did was to sew which is a huge part of the story. This can be an indication that the Disney Princess film franchise is slowly evolving from stereotypical qualities to androgynous ones.
Anna
Anna has displayed little stereotypical characteristics. She asked Kristoff how she looked when her hair turned white. This is an indication that a woman, that is Anna, is asking a man, which is Kristoff, how she looked.
Elsa
The only stereotypical characteristic Elsa displayed is being reserved as she doesn’t like to interact with others. However, it can be noted that the reason for her demureness is her desire to protect others.
Moana
Moana is different from the previous princesses of Disney. Like Elsa, she doesn’t display any stereotypical characteristics only her capability of sewing.
Summary of Female Stereotypes
The stereotypical qualities of the Disney princesses have faded over the years. While the classical princesses like Snow White and Cinderella display strong stereotypical characteristics, modern princesses like Elsa and Moana abandoned these stereotypes all together. From this observation, one can say that the Disney princess film franchise has developed over the years.
II. Damsel in Distress
Although it has already been dictated that female stereotypes include women as damsels in distress, the researchers decided to separate this category to further explain its definition and the princesses that display this characteristic. A damsel in distress is a young woman in trouble with the implication that the woman needs to be rescued, as by a prince in a fairy tale.

1. Snow White
Snow White is considered to be the damsel in distress of the story. Throughout the film, she has run away from troubles whether from the huntsman or the Evil Queen. When Snow White fell into a deep sleep because of the poisoned apple, it was the Prince who saved her by kissing her.

Cinderella
Although Cinderella has demonstrated her capabilities, she still relied on others for her rescue. When she was trapped inside her room, she relied on her mouse friends to get the key so she can get out. In the end, she was rescued from her family by the prince when he married her.
Aurora
Aurora is quite similar to Snow White’s situation. For most of the movie, Aurora is in a deep sleep with Prince Philip fighting Maleficent to save her. She is considered the damsel in distress because if Prince Philip didn’t defeat Maleficent and kissed Aurora, she would have entered in eternal slumber.

Ariel
Ariel has saved Prince Eric on several occasions. When Prince Eric drowned during a storm, it was Ariel who saved him. However, when Ariel turns back into a mermaid, she couldn’t do anything to save herself. It was Prince Eric who drove the ship into Ursula’s heart thus saving Ariel.

Belle
Although Belle is considered to be the heroine of the story, she still displayed being the damsel in distress in the story. Belle showed helplessness when she couldn’t defend herself from the wolves. It was the Beast who actually saved her. It can also be noted that Chip was the one who freed Belle and her father when Gaston trapped them in their basement. However, Belle is still recognized to be the heroine of the story as she was the one who broke the Beast’s spell.

Jasmine
Even though Jasmine is recognized to have a strong personality, she was still a damsel in distress when Jafar trapped her inside a giant hourglass. It was Aladdin who saved her from getting buried alive.
Pocahontas
Pocahontas is considered the heroine of the story. She was the one who stopped her tribe and the Americans from battle. She was also the one who saved John Smith. This indicates that Disney has begun to transform princesses from damsels in distress to heroines of their stories.

Mulan
Mulan is the heroine of the story. She was the one who saved China and its entire population from the Huns. Mulan has sacrificed her safety multiple times. Even though she knew she could die if the army finds out that she is a woman, she still went on her way to save her father. She has also saved Shang from falling off the cliff. Mulan is a clear representation of how much the Disney Princess films have evolved.
Tiana
Tiana is the heroine of the story. First, she saved Naveen from the shadow man by breaking the necklace that can destroy the lives of Naveen and of the governor of their town. Second, she saved them both from being a frog by kissing the prince in marriage. They became humans once they realized that Tiana became a princess when she became Naveen’s wife. The Princess and the Frog continues the princess as the heroine formula.
Rapunzel
Although Disney almost retracted to their princesses as the damsels in distress formula when Flynn was the one who helped Rapunzel escaped her tower, it was still Rapunzel who bargained with Mother Gothel so she could save Flynn. When Flynn died, it was Rapunzel who brought him back to life. This contradicted Disney’s first few movies because it was not the prince who brought the princess back to life but it was the princess who saved the prince this time.

Merida
Merida is considered the heroine of the story. Although she was the one who caused her mother’s transformation, she still resolved her own mistakes by mending the tapestry she ripped with pride. Brave is different from the rest of the Disney princess film franchise because the main protagonist doesn’t have any love interest. It actually focused on the relationship of mother and daughter.
Anna
It can be seen that Disney has indeed evolved as Anna, the princess, was the one who saved her sister from the prince of the story. Although there were several occasions wherein Anna was a damsel in distress when she asked for help from Prince Hans and Kristoff to unfreeze her heart, she was still the one who sacrificed herself for her sister. Anna is considered the heroine of the story because she defended Elsa when Prince Hans was about to attack her with his sword. It was Anna who also reminded Elsa that love thaws, thus saving Arendelle from winter.
Elsa
Elsa is considered deuteragonist of Frozen. She has demonstrated being in trouble but she has never sought help from others. When the duke of Weselton’s guards attacked Elsa, she didn’t ask for help but was capable of fighting with her powers. Therefore, Elsa is no damsel in distress. However, she isn’t the heroine of the story also as Anna was the one who saved her.
Moana
Moana is unexpectedly the heroine of the story. Even though she was chosen by the ocean when she was young, it was not her task to restore the heart of Te Fiti. Her only job was to find Maui so that he’s the one who will restore Te Fiti’s heart. Supposedly, Moana should be the damsel in distress, asking for a demigod’s help. However, when Maui gave up and left, Moana was the one who fought her way through the sea and realized that Te Ka is actually Te Fiti without her heart. Moana is considered the heroine of the story because she was the one who restore Te Fiti’s heart thus saving her people.
Summary of Damsel in Distress to Heroines of the Story
The evolution of princesses from being damsels in distress to heroines of the story is evident. The classical princesses demonstrated that they needed a prince to save them from their current state. During the Renaissance era, some princesses like Ariel and Jasmine are damsels in distress while some like Mulan and Pocahontas are heroines of the story. However, the modern princesses proved that the Disney princess film franchise has developed as all of their princesses are heroines.
III. Dependent to Independent
A dependent person is someone who relies on others for support while being independent is defined as not being controlled by others. People who are independent don’t rely on others. Being independent shows the desire for freedom. They are self-sufficient and are capable of taking care of themselves.

1.Snow White
Snow White has shown that she is dependent throughout the story. It was already mentioned that Snow White is the damsel in distress in the story, so this means that she was in need of someone to rescue her. She was frightened by the dark forest and was helpless. It was the dwarfs who drove away the Evil Queen, and it was the Prince who kissed Snow White thus saving her life.

Cinderella
Cinderella is also the damsel in distress of the movie thus she has relied on others to save her. Cinderella relied on Godmother to help her go to the ball. When Cinderella was trapped by her stepmother, it was her mouse friends who saved her. Furthermore, she was saved from her family by the Prince when he married her. In short, Cinderella doesn’t show independence in the movie.

Aurora
Similar to Snow White and Cinderella, Aurora didn’t show any independent qualities. She also relied on Prince Philip and the fairies to save her from eternal slumber.

Ariel
The formula still continues with Ariel as she has shown to rely on others rather than to rely on herself. She asked help from Ursula when she wanted to be with Prince Eric. Her animal friends have helped her on several occasions. In the end, it was Prince Eric who saved her and the Sea Kingdom.

Belle
Belle has shown that she is quite independent. She went after her father when their horse came back without her father. She also went inside the castle to find out where her father is. She is also willing to replace her father as the Beast’s prisoner. All throughout the movie, her father was the one who relied on Belle to take care of him. This can be interpreted as a development in the portrayal of Disney princesses.

Jasmine
Jasmine has demonstrated being independent. She insulted and drove out the prince she disliked. She has dictated that she doesn’t need a man although her father wanted someone to take care of her. She continues to argue that the law is wrong and that she can’t have her life live for her. When Aladdin and Jafar were arguing about who gets to marry Jasmine, she reprimands them, saying that she’s not a prize to be won. She can get married not for the reason of relying on others but for love.

Pocahontas
Pocahontas is highly independent. Even though her father insisted her to marry Kocoum because he doesn’t want Pocahontas to be alone, she has proved that she can take care of herself. Pocahontas didn’t rely on others when she stopped her tribe and the Americans from battle. This indicated that the Disney princess film franchise is slowly adapting more independent princesses.
MulanMulan didn’t rely on others to save China. Even though she has asked others to help her when her true gender was revealed, it was her wits and determination that saved the country. Mulan is highly independent just like Pocahontas. She was able to work her way through the army and was able to defeat their strong enemy.
Tiana
The princesses continue to show independence. Tiana is highly independent right from the start of the film. She has worked double jobs and has worked for herself all her life. She wanted to achieve her dream and she relied on herself to do this.
Rapunzel
Rapunzel is able to defend herself with a frying pan as weapon, therefore she is independent. It can be noted that she rescued Flynn from the guards and saved themselves from drowning with her hair. Although she relied on Flynn to guide her to the floating lights, she was able to do things on her own.

Merida
Merida is highly independent. It is seen that she is knowledgeable of survival skills. She’s good at directions and recognizes poison berries and worm-filled water. She is capable of catching a fish from the creek. She can also cook fish and even taught her mother to catch one. With this in mind, Merida is considered as highly independent as she can surely take care of herself even outdoors. Furthermore, Merida doesn’t want to get married because she knows that she can take care of herself.

Anna
Anna is somewhat independent although just like Rapunzel, has asked others for help. Anna asked Kristoff to take her to mountains. However, it can be noted that Anna initiated confronting Elsa in order to stop the winter. She just trusted Hans to take care of the kingdom while she is gone but she has shouldered the harder task on her own.
Elsa
Elsa has isolated herself ever since she was young. Her sacrifice to protect her sister can be seen as independence. Especially when her parents died, she has already accustomed herself into being alone. She even created a castle with her own powers. She was fine being by herself.
Moana
Although Moana’s initial task was to retrieve Maui for him to return the heart of Te Fiti, it was actually Moana who saved her people. Moana is highly independent. She didn’t want to keep on relying on the ocean or Maui to sail hence she asked Maui to teach her. After learning how to sail, Moana was able to do things on her own. Although Moana has asked Maui several times for help, she was the one who did things on her own most of the time.
Summary of being Independent
The evolution of princesses from being dependent to independent is evident. The classical princesses demonstrated that they relied on others to help or rescue them. During the Renaissance era, the princesses have developed to independent women. Ariel is the only one to have shown dependence while Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, and Mulan have shown characteristics of independence. Furthermore, the modern princesses proved that the Disney princess film franchise has developed as all of their princesses are highly independent.

IV. Androgynous Qualities
Androgynous qualities are characteristics that are not limited to one gender. It is having qualities that are both male and female. Since the focus of the study are the female protagonists of the Disney princess film franchise, the researchers would be looking at the qualities that are not female stereotypes.

1.Snow White
Snow White doesn’t display any androgynous qualities. It was observed that she possessed several female stereotypes such as cleaning, cooking, and being helpless.

Cinderella
Cinderella has demonstrated a single androgynous quality and that is to speak up. When Cinderella received their invitation to the ball, she insisted that she is also invited since the invitation indicated that all maidens are invited to come.
Aurora
Similar to Snow White, Aurora didn’t display any androgynous qualities.
Ariel
Ariel possessed some androgynous characteristics. She likes going to adventures which is contrary to female stereotypes to just stay home. She is also disobedient especially to her father, a man. Ariel is also brave. She didn’t let go of the boat even when there was a storm. She also rescued Prince Eric from drowning. It can be noted that Disney is starting to show androgynous qualities for their princesses.
Belle
It can be observed that Belle broke away from the dull Disney princesses’ characters. Belle is given more depth. She likes to read even though Gaston insisted that women shouldn’t read. The villagers thought Belle was peculiar because she doesn’t act like a typical female. Even though Belle is stereotypically beautiful, she is not limited to this description. She is also smart, brave, and upfront. Therefore, Belle possessed several androgynous qualities.
Jasmine
Similar to Belle, Jasmine has more depth as a character. She has a strong personality and is capable of taking care of herself. Jasmine told Aladdin that she’s a fast learner. She proved this by jumping across the houses with a stick exactly the way Aladdin did it. It can be seen that doing something athletic such as crossing with a stick is not typical of females. Therefore, Jasmine has androgynous qualities. Furthermore, she is able to command the guards to unhand Aladdin. She demonstrated authority which women don’t usually possess.

Pocahontas
Although Pocahontas displayed some stereotypical characteristics, she has exhibited several androgynous qualities. Pocahontas is recognized as a leader. Her father acknowledged that Pocahontas demonstrated courage and understanding when she stopped the battle. She was recognized by both sides as she passed by even though she is a woman. She is also adventurous, going from places to places while typical women should be staying at home.

Mulan
Mulan is different from the Disney princesses because she was a man in disguise. Mulan woke up with messy hair. She was always late. She tends to make excuses. She put notes on her arm to cheat. She didn’t want her hair perfect, she wanted one hair out of place. She doesn’t walk ladylike. She’s not happy when she was shown wearing makeup. She was described as too skinny, her body not good for bearing children, and a disgrace, that she looked like a bride but will never bring her family honor. She also spoke without permission twice. She can wield a sword. She cut her long hair to pretend to be a guy. The only time she demonstrated female stereotypes was when she was not used to being a guy yet.

Tiana
Even though Tiana has worked as a waitress, it was her motivation that made her job not stereotypical. She worked hard in order to achieve her dreams. She’s not like other women who dreams and does nothing about it. She works day and night to attain her goals. She has been seen waking up with messy hair and declining fun for her dreams. It can be truly seen that Disney is slowly transforming their princesses into less stereotypical and more and more androgynous.

Rapunzel
Rapunzel uses a frying pan as a weapon. Even though her weapon is a stereotypical cooking ware, she has used her frying pan to defend herself countless of times. It can be noted that it is not typical of women to defend themselves.
Merida
Merida has demonstrated androgynous qualities most of the time. She hated being a princess and she doesn’t want to marry. She has a weapon, a bow, even though she’s a princess. She also knows how to use a sword. Merida also eats apples like a boy. She complained about the tight dress she can’t breathe in. She wanted one hair out of place. She’s not amused by her suitors and makes fun of them instead. She ripped her dress in the process of preparing to shoot. All in all, she is an androgynous princess.

Anna
Anna was able to punch Hans even though she is a woman. This is not typical of women as women aren’t allowed to fight back. Instead of staying home, Anna went after Elsa so she could stop winter. In the end, she was the one who saved Elsa and the whole kingdom from winter.
Elsa
Elsa doesn’t display any stereotypical characteristics in the film. She is recognized as queen, meaning that her people trust a woman to rule over them. She is also capable of protecting herself with her powers. Thus, she is not seen as powerless which is typical of a woman. Overall, this indicates that Disney’s princesses have evolved.
Moana
Moana’s physical appearance isn’t like the princesses previously made by Disney. Yet she is somehow similar to Pocahontas. Unlike the princesses before with fair skin and straight hair, Moana’s hair is curly and wavy, and her skin isn’t as fair as the others. She doesn’t like to be called princess. Furthermore, her waist isn’t as skinny as the previous princesses. She is recognized as a leader and could also do what men do.

V. Quick to fall in love
Love is included in the film most of the time to create a more interesting storyline. However, love is often portrayed to develop quickly. Falling in love quickly means claiming you love someone and agreeing to marry them even after you just met. Although it is understood that love is different from others, it can still be observed that Disney has their own way of portraying women falling in love.
Snow White
Snow White falls in love easily with a Prince whom she just met. She sees love from a man as the only answer to happiness as she wished that she would meet the prince by going to his castle. In the end, the Prince is recognized as Snow White’s love because she was awakened by his kiss which in the spell could only be broken by love’s first kiss.

Cinderella
Cinderella didn’t know that she was dancing with the Prince. She just took his hand and they danced. She forgot to check the time as she was busy dancing with the Prince. They almost kissed even if they just met that night. Cinderella described the Prince as someone who is handsome. She didn’t care about her chores when she found that the guy she danced with was the prince and was looking for the girl who owned the glass slipper. It can be seen that Cinderella was indeed quick to fall in love. The film’s resolution ended when Cinderella and Prince Charming got married.
Aurora
Aurora agreed to dance with Prince Philip because Prince Philip claimed that they already met. She said that the day she met Prince Philip was the happiest day of her life. When Prince Philip kissed her, she came back to life because it was true love’s kiss. She was actually happier to be with Prince Philip than with her parents who she never met until that night. Clouds started to form as they danced, symbolizing that she’s in cloud nine when she’s with him. Thus, Aurora is also quick to fall in love.
Ariel
When Ariel first saw Prince Eric, it was love at first sight. She even flirts with a statue version of him. When Ariel’s father found out about her collection especially her adventures on the surface, Ariel claimed that she loves Prince Eric. Furthermore, she chose leave her family to be with Eric. Her transformation would only be complete with true love’s kiss which is recognized to come from Prince Eric. In the end, she marries Prince Eric in three days’ time.

Belle
Unlike her previous counterparts, Belle didn’t fall in love easily. She didn’t like the Beast at first but has grown to like him. She saw through the Beast’s physical appearance. She was also alarmed that she might be falling in love. She acknowledged that she’s happy with the Beast but still wished to see her father. Moreover, Belle said “I love you” to the Beast only when he died thus breaking the spell. She analyzed the Beast’s transformed facial features before finally acknowledging that it is him. It was observed that she slowly kissed the Beast. They kissed again in the end.

Jasmine
Even though Belle was not quick to fall in love, Jasmine fell in love easily. It was observed that she almost kissed Aladdin even if they just met. She held hands with Aladdin and put her head on his shoulders during their carpet ride. She said that she had the most wonderful time with Aladdin. She was happy that she’ll marry Aladdin. At the end of the film, she held onto Aladdin and kissed him.

Pocahontas
Pocahontas was quick to fall in love with John Smith. Although at first, she was just curious about his presence, it didn’t take long before they started to fall for each other. She was even willing to die if John Smith died. However, it can be noted that even though Pocahontas was quick to fall in love with John Smith, she knows her responsibilities in her tribe so she chose her people over him.
Mulan
Love was not the focus of the story. Although there were several hints between Mulan and Shang, Disney didn’t focus so much in this storyline. However, at the end of the film, Mulan asked Shang to stay for dinner. This indicated that Mulan wanted to know about Shang before starting something.

Tiana
Tiana didn’t like Naveen at first but eventually fell in love with him. She is willing to marry him even if they just met two days ago. She ran off when she saw fake Naveen about to marry Lottie. She said that her dream is incomplete without Naveen. She told Naveen that she loves him. She was still happy even if they’re frogs as long as they’re staying together. She married Naveen twice. It can be seen that Tiana didn’t fall in love easily but she did marry right away when she realized she loves Naveen.

Rapunzel
Rapunzel didn’t fully trust Flynn at first. But eventually, she falls in love with him. Flynn and Rapunzel held hands and almost kissed during the lantern festival. She cried when she thought Flynn left her for the crown. She is willing to sacrifice her freedom to save him. It can be noted that she was the one who kissed Flynn. However, she eventually married him only after several years of him asking her.

Merida
Merida didn’t have any love interest. Although she has a handful of suitors, she didn’t like any of them. Brave focused on the love between mother and daughter rather than the romantic kind.

Anna
Anna was very quick to fall in love. When she met Hans for the first time, she called him gorgeous. They bonded for one night and when Hans asked Anna to marry her, she immediately agreed even though they only knew each other that day. However, it was mentioned that Anna doesn’t know anything about love. She thought she loved Hans but, in the end, her love for her sister saved her.

Elsa
Elsa doesn’t have any love interest in the film. Hans mentioned that no one was getting anywhere with her. This means that Elsa doesn’t welcome suitors.

Moana
Similar to Merida and Elsa, Moana doesn’t have any love interest. Her love for her people was the thing that motivated her to restore Te Fiti’s heart.

Summary of Quick to Fall in Love
After watching all the movies, the researchers found out that princesses “falling in love quickly” slowly diminished. The classical princesses were quick to fall in love while the princesses of the renaissance era were slower to fall in love. However, the modern princesses don’t seek love the way renaissance era princesses prioritize it. They seek the love that they need from the people around them. An example is the love that a sister needs in Frozen or the love of her people from Pocahontas.
VI. Heroine of the Story
The main female character obtains the characteristics of being the heroine of the story if the character shows actions of solving the conflict of the film. It is also considered that the female protagonist is a heroine of the story if she has special achievement or any portrayal of a good role model being shown in the film.

Snow White
Snow White did not portray any characteristic that will qualify her as a heroine of the story. She was saved by the Prince when he kissed her thus saving Snow White from the effect of the poisoned apple given to her by the wicked queen.
Cinderella
In the film, Cinderella was not the heroine of the story. Since she was abused all the time by her step-sisters and step-mom, she had nothing to do but follow their orders. She is more likely the Damsel in Distress in the story. She was only saved from her situation when the Prince had to look for her in every corner of the kingdom. The Prince was the hero of this story.

Aurora
Aurora was the one being saved by Prince Phillip from her deep sleep which was a curse bestowed upon her by Maleficent. Hence, Prince Phillip was the hero of the story.

Ariel
Although Ariel shows bravery throughout the story as she tries to prove to her father, King Triton, that she can be on her own, she still became a Damsel in Distress of the story. By the time that Ursula had a chance to have King Triton’s power, it was Prince Eric who defeated and killed Ursula in the end.

Belle
Disney changed its character design on the female protagonist when Belle became the Heroine of the story after saving the Prince from being the Beast and saving the palace from the curse as well.

Jasmine
Jasmine showed attributes of being independent in the film of Aladdin, yet she was not the heroine of the story. Aladdin saved Agrabah from Jafar.
Pocahontas
Pocahontas was definitely the heroine of the film. With her free-spirited and very independent personality, Pocahontas had her own decisions without any hesitations. She knew that she can unite her tribe with the settlers even though it was dangerous. Pocahontas was able to save John Smith from being killed by her father, the Chief, and she was able to save her tribe from the war, thus, she is the Heroine of the story.

Mulan
Without a doubt, with Mulan’s story, she was certainly the heroine of the story. She didn’t need a man to save her from this story, instead she became a man on her own, as she has pretended to be a man in order to save her sick father from joining the army. In line with this, Mulan was able to prove that women can also fight in wars. With her bravery, she became the savior of China, thus, she is the heroine of the story.

Tiana
Tiana is one of the most independent and hardworking princesses in Disney. She proved that she didn’t need any man or anyone to achieve her dreams. She showed bravery and saved Naveen from the Shadow man by breaking the necklace that can destroy Naveen’s and of the townspeople’s life. She also saved the story when she married Naveen, become a princess, kissed him, and transformed to humans once again.
Rapunzel
Rapunzel was also an independent and brave princess. Yet with these skills, she can’t be considered as Heroine of the story because most of time, she was saved by Flynn Ryder. Although she was able to save and heal Flynn after being killed by Mother Gothel. Towards the end of the story, Rapunzel became more of Damsel in Distress as she was already tied up by Mother Gothel. With all the conflicts and before Flynn died, he was able to cut Rapunzel’s hair which also saved her from being enslaved by Mother Gothel, which actually resolved the whole story. With this, Rapunzel was able to go back to her real family.

Merida
With the title of the movie, Brave, it was obvious that having a courageous heart is the dominant part of her personality, not to mention being a skilled archer. She is the heroine of the story after messing up and turning her mother into a bear. Her journey to fix her relationship with her mom was challenging but she was able to turn the queen back to her human form before it was too late. True enough, she was able to, when mend the bond torn by pride. She saved her mom and their relationship as a family.

Anna
When Anna’s sister, Elsa, accidentally turned summer into winter and vanished because of fear, Anna did not give up looking for Elsa. She trusted that their relationship as sisters would help her talk to her sister and convince her to bring back summer. Even though it was dangerous, Anna’s optimistic and brave personality gave her the motivation to confront her sister. She actually saved Elsa from the fear she has been feeling ever since they were kids. She taught Elsa to love her powers more than just fear it.

Elsa
Filled with fear, Elsa became a Damsel in Distress when she kept letting fear overpower her feelings. Yet she was saved by her sister, Anna, from the fear that she has been concealing all her life. Hence, Elsa was not a hero of the story.

Moana
Having a similar personality with Pocahontas, Moana is brave, independent, and adventurous. With these personalities, she was able to have the motivation to sail across the sea, find Maui and deliver him to Te Fiti for them to restore the heart. Moana saved and became the hero of the story when she able to save Maui from Tamatoa, bring Maui to Te Fiti, restore Te Fiti’s heart, and save all the islands from darkness. Hence, Moana is considered the heroine of the story.

Summary of Heroine of the Story
The change in character design of the main female character in the Disney Princesses films was very dominant as Disney released the film Beauty and the Beast. Although the character of Jasmine in Aladdin and Rapunzel in Tangled was still a Damsel in distress, Disney was still consistent in changing the stereotype in female characters through the years of making films with Disney Princesses in it. The first batch of Disney films, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Little Mermaid, was consistent in showing that the usual hero of the story are the princes of the story. Yet in Tangled, it was different, the hero was not a prince, but an ordinary thief of their kingdom. The development in the personalities of the Disney Princesses was seen in the stories of the film that followed Beauty and Beast. Therefore, Disney did change their main female protagonist of their stories.

Conclusion
To conclude, the gender role portrayal of Disney princesses has evidently developed from stereotypical to more androgynous characters. At the beginning of the princesses’ era, the classical princesses were seen as dependent damsels in distress waiting for their prince to save them while the renaissance princesses still demonstrated stereotypes with some androgynous qualities. Only the last two princesses of the Renaissance era, Pocahontas and Mulan, became independent heroines of their story. However, even though the modern princesses were more androgynous than previous princesses, they still possess little female stereotypical qualities. There is really a change in the Disney’s princess formula. The observation and analysis are as follows: First, classical princesses demonstrate dependence, weakness, and are quick to fall in love. Then, early renaissance princesses would possess these same characteristics. Afterwards, latter renaissance princess would show little of these qualities. Finally, modern princesses would abandon them completely. In the end, stereotypical damsels in distress Disney princesses have become androgynous heroines of their stories.